Guidelines for Harvesting

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1. WHAT DAYS TO HARVEST

  • In summer, we harvested every day but Saturday.
  • In fall, winter, and spring, we harvesting on selected days of the week. Currently (April 2013) - Tuesdays and Fridays.

2. WHAT TO HARVEST

  • Harvest the entire garden, not just your team's row. We want to pick whatever is ready.
  • Err on the side of picking a bit early vs late. See the guidelines below.

3. HOW TO HARVEST AND WHAT TO DO WITH THE PRODUCE

  • Use shears or clippers rather than tearing the veggies off the plants.
  • Weigh each type of produce. The scales are in the upper right cabinet. Record the weights to include in your daily garden report. We want to keep track!
  • Put the produce in plastic bags. If there is enough produce, put each type of produce in a different bag for easier handling by our recipient charity.
  • Deliver the harvest in accordance with the Delivery Schedule.

4. SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR HARVESTING
  • If possible, pick early in morning when dew is still on plants
  • Tomatoes: pick early -- when turning orange and when skin is waxy -- we're purposely picking these early to discourage the ground squirrels
  • Zucchini: Harvest when not more than 6" long and/or 2" in diameter. Cut with 1" of stem attached
  • Peppers: Harvest when fruit reaches a usable size (~2" in diameter, and 3" long). Chili Peppers 3 1/2" long. Cut, don't twist off.
  • Beans: pick when 5" long, before the you can see the seeds bulging.
  • Carrots: Pick when at the desirable size. The tops of the carrot will show at the soil line and you can gauge the size. Better guidelines to come.
  • Lettuce: Harvest the entire plant once the plant has reached about 4 inches in height, before it starts to wilt. Cut below the surface to keep leaves intact.
  • Radishes: Pick when the shoulders of the bulbs pop out of the soil line, before they go to seed, when the plant is 7-8" high.
  • Broccoli: Pick before flower buds open. Harvest when the buds are about the size of a match head.
  • Cucumbers: Pick when 5 - 7" long and/or 2" in diameter; and when fruit is firm and smooth
  • Scallions: Pick when base is about 3/4" in diameter.
  • Bulb Onions: Dig out bulb once the tops have ripened and fallen over